A Special Christmas
by BabyBeaver
Summary: Might change title later. Sue's Christmas plans get changed, and she ends up going to Wisconsin with Jack for the holiday. Rather fluffy, progressively humorous and romantic.
1. Chapter 1

**July 12, 2010**

**Future fic. Inspired while watching "Dirty Bomb" – the part where Curtis calls Jack "Jackie." **

**I wasn't entirely sure what to title this, but I figured I could always change it.**

**I don't have any clue what anybody's parents' names are… They're never really mentioned. I don't know where Jack's mom's name came from, but… I made an assumption as to his dad's name.**

**And siblings' names are never mentioned, either. =\**

* * *

**Did a little research on small towns in Wisconsin and decided to make this one (about 900 people) Jack's hometown. And I'm going to say that Sue is from Cambridge, because according to MapQuest, it's nearly six hours from DC. And Cambridge is about 550-560 miles, or 9.5-ish hours from Jack's hometown. So it's about 14-15 hours from DC to Jack's hometown, depending on which roads you take. Probably a little longer with stopping for gas…**

**I own nothing. Except all five DVD volumes! =D**

**Okay, so "Alone for Christmas" might have some of the same ideas. I only read the first couple of sentences. If I'm copying anything from that story, it's because I didn't read it. **

**If I'm copying any other fics, I apologize. I haven't read as many STFBE fics as I would like to, because of grammar and the fact that most of the websites I've looked at haven't allowed me to read them without being a member of the site.**

* * *

"Jackson Samuel Hudson! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

To prove her point, his mother rested her hand on her chest, sighing as she motioned him inside.

"Sorry, Mom. I wanted to surprise you," Jack chuckled as he gave her a hug.

"Well, you succeeded," his father chuckled, patting Jack on the back. "You're home a day earlier than you said you'd be!

Jack didn't get a chance to respond to that, interrupted by a sound from the doorway.

"These are heavier than I thought," Sue said from behind him, juggling Levi's leash and their suitcases as she walked into the house.

Jack's mother frowned and his father rushed to Sue's side, taking the suitcases from her grasp.

"Hello there," Mr. Hudson smiled. "Jack mentioned he was bringing a friend home for the holidays…"

He turned to his son, frowning, "But he's forgotten his manners. Leaving a young woman to carry everything inside for him…"

Jack stepped over to Sue, reminding her, "I thought I told you we'd get those later?"

Sue shrugged, smiling innocently. "I thought I could handle it. And I didn't want to—"

Jack held up his hand, smiling as he stopped her. "Never mind."

He turned to his parents, smiling as he introduced them.

"Mom, Dad, this is Sue Thomas, the coworker I told you about."

He looked back at Sue, indicating his parents. "Sue, meet my parents."

"_**S-A-M-U-E-L and**_ _**H-E-A-T-H-E-R**_," Sue signed and finger spelled, looking to Jack for confirmation.

When he nodded Sue smiled, looking at the Hudsons. "Nice to meet you both."

Heather's eyes widened as she realized, "You're the deaf coworker?"

Sue nodded, smiling. "Good deduction. This is Levi, my hearing dog."

Levi held up a paw, his tongue lolling out as he looked at the couple.

"Oh, how cute!" Heather gushed, patting Levi's head. "He's so polite."

"Unlike someone I know," Sam mumbled with a wink as he narrowed his eyes at Jack, who rolled his eyes and sighed.

"So, tell me," Sam continued, ignoring his son. "What brings you here, Sue?"

"I… I didn't quite…?" Sue frowned, and Jack tapped her shoulder.

"He wants to know why you came with me," he said, signing part of the phrase as well.

"Oh!" Sue caught on, looking at Sam with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, your mustache makes it a little hard to read your lips."

"I keep telling him to shave," Heather informed her, glancing at Sam with a frown.

Sam only shrugged as Sue explained, "I was going to go home for Christmas, but my parents decided last-minute to go away for the week. I didn't want to intrude on my brothers' plans, and the rest of the team had already gone home for the holidays…"

"I told her she could come with me—that you guys wouldn't mind," Jack informed his parents, giving them both a look.

"Of course we don't mind!" Heather exclaimed, her face lighting up as she stepped closer to Sue. "Here, I'll show you to the guest room so you can at least unpack."

Jack sighed as he took Sue's suitcase from his father, ignoring the glint in Sam's eye.

"She's cute," the older Hudson whispered slowly, his eyes narrowing playfully.

"Dad, you're happily married," Jack groaned, knowing where this was going.

"Yes, but you're not," his father insisted. "And—"

"And nothing," Jack interrupted, glaring at his father as he followed his mother and Sue down the hallway.

"Jack never told me he was named after his hometown," he heard Sue telling his mom, and he smirked as he leaned against the doorjamb.

"Maybe it just never came up," he suggested, and Levi turned, alerting Sue to Jack's presence.

"Oh!" Sue smiled at him as she turned around. "Did you say something, Jack?"

"I said, 'Maybe it just never came up.'," Jack repeated, smiling.

Sue frowned playfully, arguing, "You told me you were from a small town."

"You didn't ask which one," he retorted, grinning.

Before Sue could reply, Heather interrupted, "I'm guessing you're both pretty tired from that long drive…?"

"Actually," Jack countered calmly, "I'm not all that tired. And besides, I'd like to stay up and talk with you and Dad for a while."

He glanced at Sue, the question hanging unspoken between them.

"I'm not all that tired, either," Sue smiled, signing for Levi to follow her as she walked toward the door. Jack didn't move, and she looked down briefly as she stepped past him into the hallway.

"What? You've never heard of 'Ladies first?'" Jack asked with a grin, pushing himself away from the doorway.

Sue only shook her head with a smile, heading down the hallway into the living room, Jack and Levi both at her heels.

* * *

**Notes: **Let's just say Jack drove the 14 hours from DC to Jackson pretty much straight through. We'll say they started at like eight am and stopped a few times along the way, arriving at around 10:30 pm.

Jack's siblings are with their in-laws for the holiday…?

**Words**: 790

**Time**: A few hours. Took me forver to post. Don't ask why.

**Influences, Borrowed Ideas, and Other Random Crap**:

The Pilot ep, of course.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two!**

**Sue is now getting acquainted with the Hudsons (moreso Samuel). At 10:30 at night. Haha.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

They'd settled in the living room, Sue, Heather and Levi on the couch and Jack and Sam in the adjacent chairs.

"So, Sue," Sam began, and Jack groaned at the glint in his father's eye. "Tell us about working with Ja—I mean at the FBI."

Sue shot Jack a glance before clearing her throat and asking, "Um, what would you like to know?"

"Oh, the usual," Sam reassured casually. "You know: coworkers, cases, that kind of thing."

Sue frowned. "I would think you already know our coworkers, and we're not really supposed to talk about cases…"

"So no new coworkers?" Sam asked, glancing at Jack.

"Nope," Jack replied. "Sue's the newest recruit, and that was a few years ago."

"Oh?" Sam asked, looking at Sue. "You're the rookie?"

"She's not a rookie anymore, Dad," Jack argued, smiling at Sue.

"I had a good training agent," Sue replied, her smile even wider than Jack's.

Jack saw his father looking back and forth between them, but ignored the action, instead clearing his throat and agreeing, "I suppose you did."

"Jack trained you in, did he?" Sam asked, his eyebrows rising.

Sue nodded slowly, looking curiously at the older man.

Didn't he already know this stuff? After all, Sue had been working with Jack for nearly five years…

"How was that? He wasn't too hard on you, was he?" Sam asked, smiling.

Jack chuckled and gave Sue a pointed stare before he replied, "She caught on pretty quickly."

"He said what needed to be said when it needed to be said," Sue put in, smiling slightly.

Jack blinked. He hadn't seen that one coming. He wasn't even sure where Sue had gotten that phrase, but it fit.

"I hear you two went undercover…" Sam grinned, throwing a wink at Jack, who groaned.

"Dad, have you been talking to Bobby again?"

"That was… a couple of years ago," Sue frowned, looking at Jack in confusion.

"Bobby may have mentioned it a few days ago…" Sam confirmed with a smile, continuing immediately, "So, how did that go?"

He glanced at Jack before looking at Sue again. "I assume Jackson was a gentleman? If he wasn't, I may have to teach him a lesson…"

Sam winked, and Sue glanced at Jack, who rolled his eyes and signed, _**He likes to tease.**_

Sue nodded slightly, her gaze focused on Sam as she replied, "Let's just say he wouldn't be my last choice of…"

She paused and cleared her throat, stroking Levi's head as the Hudson men exchanged glances.

Jack motioned for Levi to get Sue's attention again and tilted his head when her eyes met his.

"Last choice of what?" he probed, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing," Sue assured him, clearing her throat again and keeping her eyes on Levi.

Jack sighed, dropping the subject for the moment and turning to his mother.

"So, what's new with you guys?"

Conversation continued in that direction for a while, and around midnight, soon after Heather and Sam had gone to bed, Sue began to yawn.

Levi had already fallen asleep with his head on her lap not long before, and Jack had to smile at the picture they presented.

Sue frowned at him sleepily, asking, "What?"

"I think you need to go to bed," Jack replied with a small smile.

"I'm fine," Sue insisted halfheartedly, yawning again.

"Don't make me carry you…" Jack warned, a smile playing at his lips as he pointed a finger at her.

Sue sighed. "I may just fall asleep right here."

Jack chuckled, smiling. "Well, I guess my parents being up early making noise in the kitchen won't affect you as much as it would me…"

Sue smiled back, nodding in agreement. "I guess not."

Jack stood up from his chair, stopping next to the couch as he left the room.

"I'm going to bed. You can stay up for a while if you want to, or just fall asleep right there if it works for you."

Sue smiled up at him tiredly, and he had to fight the urge to kiss the sleepy expression off of her face as he informed her, "If you need anything, my room's the one right across the hall from yours, the second one on the left."

Sue nodded, stroking a sleeping Levi's back. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled turning to leave the room, only to be stopped by Sue's hand on his arm.

Turning, he found Sue signing _**thank you**_ with a very serious look on her face.

"I appreciate this. All of it," she whispered, and Jack settled his hand on top hers, smiling as he repeated, "No problem. And I mean that. My parents love you just as much as I—the team does."

His eyes went wide at his slip-up, but he corrected himself, hoping Sue hadn't noticed.

He cleared his throat before he signed _**good night**_ and headed for his room.

**

* * *

**

**Time**: Bah. A couple of hours?

**Words**: 818

**Influences, Borrowed Ideas, and Other Random Crap**:

Definitely the Pilot and Newlywed Game. A few others, probably.


	3. Chapter 3

**July 12, 2010**

**Chapter three!**

**Nothing's mine.**

* * *

When he woke up around ten after a restless night, Jack could hear voices floating in from the living room.

After he woke up a bit more, he realized that Sue was already up talking to his mother, and they happened to be talking about _him_.

Which shouldn't have surprised him, considering his mother loved matchmaking as much as Lucy did.

He just hoped Heather hadn't broken out the old family photo albums…

He could see it now: Sue laughing her heart out at the embarrassing photos his mother would point out…

With a sigh, he crawled out of bed and wandered into the living room, where Sue glanced up at him with a smile.

Luckily, the photo album was nowhere in sight.

"Morning, Sparky."

Jack ran a hand through his hair, flopping down into a chair.

"Morning, Thomas."

His mother glanced at him curiously before turning back to Sue.

"I just realized, I never did hear the full story of that undercover assignment…"

Jack moaned. "Mom! You really don't need to know that!"

"Of course I do," Heather returned seriously. "You were _married_ for a week!"

"As part of an undercover assignment!" Jack argued, tensing up. "It's not important."

"Jack," Sue reasoned, smiling at him, "_honey_. She wants to know if anyone else would be able to stand you for more than a week. I think she deserves the truth."

Jack made a face at her, signing _**thank you**_ as Sue smiled back.

_**No problem,**_ she signed with a grin.

"I need coffee," Jack sighed, standing. "Tell me Dad didn't make it…"

"Actually, Sue did," his mother replied, smiling.

Jack looked at Sue, looking at her curiously. "Did you even sleep last night?"

Sue smiled. "Just go get your coffee, _Jackson_."

Jack whistled, waving a finger at her in warning as he made for the kitchen.

"You two get along well," Heather said quietly, but not soft enough for Jack to miss it. He could tell she was smiling, and he couldn't wait for Sue's response.

"Uh, yeah," his coworker agreed, and Jack grinned at the image of her smiling shyly.

"Anything interesting to share from that week undercover?" Heather pressed, and Jack just knew his mother was grinning.

Sue was probably blushing as she replied, "Um, there's not really much to tell…"

Jack crept to the doorway with his coffee mug in hand, watching his mom lean forward as she whispered, "Sue, I know Jack. I _raised_ him. Nothing you say will surprise me."

Sue pondered that for a moment, smiling as she asked, "What would you say if I told you that he left his bedroom light off and risked stubbing his toes – or worse – every night?"

Jack chuckled quietly, watching as his mom's expression changed from smugness to surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We slept in different rooms, of course, and I told him the neighbors might get suspicious if both lights were on at night. He offered to leave his off because I already can't hear. Said it was only fair that he be blind."

Sue's smile was soft as she admitted, "It was really touching."

"That's Jack for you," Heather replied with a smile. "Loyal almost to a fault."

Sue only smiled in return, looking down at Levi.

Jack decided to walk back in then, acting nonchalant as he sat down with Sue and Levi, draping one arm over the back of the couch.

Levi lifted his head, his tail wagging, and Jack smiled.

"Good morning to you, too, buddy."

Levi barked softly, and Jack could have sworn the dog was smiling.

"He is one of the smartest dogs I think I've ever met," Heather smiled warmly.

"I don't know what I'd do without him," Sue replied, looking down at Levi fondly.

"Good morning!" Sam's voice announced cheerfully from the doorway, and Levi nudged Sue, looking toward the older man.

"Good morning," Jack and Sue replied in unison, watching as Sam walked over to kiss Heather.

Sue looked down at Levi for a moment, and Jack glanced at Sue, his mind suddenly filled with images of them actually married.

The thought was rather appealing, but Jack shoved it to the back of his mind, clearing his throat as his father sat down in the rocking chair.

"So, what's on today's agenda?" Sam asked, looking from Jack to Sue and back again.

"I thought I might show Sue around town a little," Jack replied, looking over at Sue. "That is, if you'd like to."

Sue nodded. "Sure."

"Great!" Sam grinned, giving Jack a look the agent knew all too well.

Jack frowned, but Sam ignored him, continuing, "You could show her the lake…"

"Did you say 'lake'?" Sue asked, and Jack waved. "The lake where I played hockey. It's pretty good for skating, too."

"I'm definitely interested now!" Sue grinned, and Jack smiled. "I think we've got a pair of ice skates around here somewhere…"

He looked at his mom, who was already formulating an answer.

"I think there's an extra pair in the basement…"

"What are we waiting for?" Sue asked, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go!"

**

* * *

**

**Words**: 850

**Time**: Uhhhh, not very long. A few hours.

**Influences, Borrowed Ideas, and Other Random Crap**:

Ummm, Newlywed Game again, and Missing, I think? When Levi goes missing? Sort of, anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

**July 12 - 13, 2010**

**Chapter four!**

**Still own nothing.**

**And these chapters get longer every time… This is definitely the longest one yet, by a couple hundred words. Heh.**

* * *

After a quick shower and half an hour spent rummaging in the basement for ice skates, Jack joined Sue in the entryway, where she was hooking Levi to his leash.

"You ready?" he asked, and Sue nodded, reaching for a pair of skates.

"I've got this; you just worry about Levi," Jack assured with her a smile, and Sue nodded, opening the door and leading the way out into the snow.

His parents' house was right off Jackson Drive, Sue noted with a smile, and not far from Jackson Park.

"They really did their research, huh?" Jack smiled, referring to his parents.

"Yeah," Sue smiled as she let Levi hop into the back seat of Jack's car. "It's clever."

Jack started the car, smiling as he backed out of the driveway and pulled onto Main Street.

"How far is this lake of yours?" Sue asked, looking out the window for a moment before returning her attention to Jack.

"Not very," he assured her. "I used to walk to it every after day after school, because Mom and Dad worked and my siblings all had other stuff to do."

Sue nodded in understanding, smiling slightly as she looked back out the window.

They were silent for a few minutes before Jack touched Sue's arm and pointed out the window.

"There it is," he grinned. "Hasmer Lake."

He parked the car and grabbed the skates from the back seat, leading Sue over to a bench at the end of the parking lot.

"I hope they fit," he said sheepishly as she pulled the skates on. "I don't remember the last time anybody wore them."

"They're perfect," Sue assured him, smiling.

"Oh, good," Jack sighed, pulling on his own pair of skates and holding out his hands to help Sue up.

"Levi, stay," she instructed as she stood, smiling at Jack as they made their way out onto the lake.

"So this is where you spent your winters…"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much."

"It's nice. Very pretty."

_Not as pretty as you_, Jack thought before he could stop it.

"Mmm," he agreed absently, starting when Sue touched his shoulder.

"Jack? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," he replied, too quickly for his own liking.

Sue frowned, obviously not convinced, but he smiled and shrugged it off, asking quickly, "Want to show me more of those moves?"

Sue bit her lip, glancing down at her feet, and Jack tipped her head upward.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he reassured. "I'd just like to see you skate."

Sue finally nodded slowly, smiling at him timidly as she skated away.

Jack watched, mesmerized, as Sue leaped and twirled, and scolded himself for forgetting his camera.

This was good stuff, and he decided he would love to watch Sue skate all the time. It came so naturally to her, and it was obvious she loved it, a look of pure joy on her face as she came to a stop in front of him, her face flushed.

Jack clapped, grinning. "Very nice."

Then, before he could stop himself, he held out a hand and asked, "Care to dance?"

Sue frowned, confusion plainly written on her face, and Jack stepped closer, placing one hand on Sue's waist as the other reached to take her hand.

Sue blinked at him, unsure, but he smiled reassuringly and started skating, leading her around the lake.

Soon they were lost in their own little world, skating together as easily as if they'd been doing it all their lives.

Jack couldn't help but picture them skating this way when they'd grown old and gray, and the image brought a smile to his lips.

Sue frowned at him curiously, asking, "What's that look for?"

"I was just thinking," Jack said slowly, pushing Sue out ahead of him and twirling her back to him with a smile.

"About what?" Sue asked they stopped skating.

"Us," he blurted before he could stop himself.

The color rushed to his cheeks and he cleared his throat as Sue asked, "Did you say 'us'?"

"Um, this. Right now. How easy this is," he replied, holding Sue's gaze. "How much I want to be able to do this every winter."

Sue stared at him, uncertainty clear on her face, and Jack finally whispered, "Sue, I love you. It took me a while to realize it, and at first I denied it because of…work and…stuff… But now I know that there's nothing I want more than to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Jack, I… I don't know what to say," Sue stammered quietly, staring at him.

"You don't have to say anything," Jack whispered back, his face inching closer to hers.

He couldn't stop himself from leaning in, tipping his head slightly as his lips brushed Sue's.

Sue tensed up for a moment before relaxing into his embrace, clutching at Jack's coat as he slid a hand to her neck, his thumb stroking her cheek.

When they finally parted, both flushed and breathing heavily, Jack couldn't resist stealing another quick kiss before he decided, "I could get used to that."

Sue was blushing, and Jack grinned, enjoying the picture.

"Yeah," she breathed, staring up at him sadly. "But… the rules…"

Jack kissed her again, looking at her resolutely as he replied, "I talked to Garrett before we left: he said he'd talk to some people, see what he could do."

Sue blinked, asking, "I'm sorry, did you say you talked to Garrett?"

Jack only nodded, smiling widely.

"So you had this planned."

"Well, no. Not completely," Jack argued, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sue gave him a look he knew all too well and he gave in.

"Okay, so I kind of planned it. I hoped you wouldn't catch on, but obviously I underestimated your powers of observation."

He continued talking before Sue could protest, informing her, "I've been thinking about this for a while now. I wanted to surprise you, and when I found out you didn't have a place to spend Christmas, I decided it was now or never."

He sucked in a breath as he knelt on the ice, years of practice helping him keep his balance on the skates.

Slowly, Jack pulled a box from his pocket, surprised but thrilled that Sue hadn't noticed it already.

At Sue's shocked expression, he reassured her, "I uh… Garrett figured it would be all right."

Before he could actually ask the question, Sue practically jumped on him, crying, "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you."

Jack could only grin as Levi skittered out to them, knocking them off balance.

"Whoa!" Jack cried as they toppled over, turning so that he took most of the impact and Sue landed safely on top of him, laughing.

"Well, that was interesting," Jack chuckled, making no move to stand.

"Yeah," Sue agreed quietly, smiling down at him.

"I'll say," a third voice chimed in, and Jack turned his head with a sigh.

"How did I know you were spying on us?" Jack asked as his father stepped onto the ice, holding a video camera.

"Spying? I'm chaperoning!" Sam retorted, winking at Sue, who blushed and scrambled to get up.

Jack held her where she was, ignoring her protests as he watched his father, who hadn't yet turned off the camera.

"Is that what they call it now?" Jack asked casually, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm," Sam replied easily, his eyes narrowed pointedly.

"Well, you're not very good at it," Jack ventured, gesturing to his current position.

"You're not 15 anymore," Sam replied, giving Jack a meaningful look.

"That's true," Jack said thoughtfully. "So what would you do if I was 15?"

"I'd tell you to help the lady up and keep your distance."

Jack chuckled, looking at Sue as he informed her, "You can get up now."

Sue sighed as she crawled off of him, her relief obvious as she stood up.

Jack pushed himself up, trying to brush the ice off the back of his coat when he'd gotten his balance.

"So," Sam began, smiling, "when's the wedding?"

Jack rolled his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Sue's waist, asking, "Didn't you hear? We're already married."

"And why wasn't I invited to this wedding?" Sam asked, frowning.

"We eloped," Sue put in.

"Yeah, good ol' Reverend Al performed the ceremony," Jack added, grinning.

"Mhm," Sue agreed with a smile.

"And yet neither of you is wearing a wedding band," Sam mused aloud, his eyebrows rising.

"Spent all our money on the house," Jack explained, and his father nodded.

"I see," Sam said as Jack and Sue exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.

Jack kissed Sue swiftly, enjoying the blush that quickly colored her cheeks and ignoring his dad's grin.

"Are either of you cold?" Sam asked suddenly, looking at them thoughtfully.

"No, not really," Jack replied easily, looking at Sue and signing _**Cold?**_

She pinned him with a glare but said calmly, "Actually, I am."

"I'd take her home if I were you," Sam winked.

"And do what?" Jack asked mischievously, smirking.

"Hot chocolate?" Sue put in curiously, and Levi barked in agreement.

"Sounds like Levi wants to go inside, too," Sam proposed, motioning toward the parking lot. "Shall we?"

"Yes please," Sue said quickly. "I'm freezing."

_**I think I know how to warm you up,**_ Jack signed, winking as he pulled her closer.

"Jack…" Sue frowned, pushing away from him. "I'd like to get inside, if you don't mind."

"I'd get her inside before she leaves you behind, son," Sam suggested, approaching Sue.

"Come on, dear," he smiled, guiding her off of the ice with Levi on their heels.

"I think Jack could learn a thing or two from you," Sue smiled back, glancing at Jack over her shoulder.

"I guess even after 30 years, there are things he hasn't picked up," Sam replied, winking at Jack quickly as he opened the passenger-side door for Sue.

Jack sighed and followed the pair, swapping his skates for his shoes and sliding into the driver's seat before Sam could.

"Sorry, Pop—looks like you're walking home," he apologized with a wink as he started the car and left the parking lot.

"Jack, are you really going to leave him to walk home?" Sue asked, frowning.

"He drove," Jack assured her. "He wouldn't have gotten there so quickly if he hadn't."

"Oh…" Sue blinked. "Of course he did."

Jack only smiled as the scenery flew by and before long, they were pulling into the driveway ahead of Sam.

* * *

**Notes:** Crap end to the chapter, but it was getting way too long.

**Time**: Couple hours.

**Words**: 1763

**Influences, Borrowed Ideas, and Other Random Crap**:

Newlywed Game. Um, The Lawyer… Possibly a few other episodes.


End file.
